John Byrne plans to go 3,000 miles starting Sunday, when he’ll begin a bicycle ride from the Golden Gate to the Brooklyn Bridge to raise funds for his sister, Lauren Byrne.

The 22-year-old Newark woman suffered a spinal cord injury in a 2005 swimming accident and is now a quadriplegic. But she has stayed active by playing wheelchair rugby, traveling with friends and attending Ohlone College in pursuit of her dream of becoming a schoolteacher.

“Lauren’s attitude is always very positive and hardworking,” said John Byrne, a Newark Memorial High School graduate. “She’s inspired me to do a lot of things in my life.”

That includes “Lauren’s Ride,” his idea to bicycle across the nation to raise about $60,000. Those funds would go toward the purchase of a specialized vehicle with a ramp and hand controls, which would give his sister a new level of independence.

He plans to complete the 3,700-mile trek between San Francisco and New York City in 36 days, staying at fire stations along the way before arriving at his destination in mid-October.

Byrne — a 26-year-old engineer at the Cal Fire/San Luis Obispo County Fire station in Nipomo — said he hopes to ride about 100 miles per day.

Through dinners and auctions this year, the fundraising effort already has garnered about $22,000, and corporate sponsors have covered expenses for the cross-country trip, Byrne said.

Bids are being accepted online for high-end auction items, including vacation rentals in Kauai and Lake Tahoe, at www.laurensride.org, a website where Byrne’s cross-country journey also can be tracked.

Another dinner has been scheduled Saturday night at Niles Veterans Hall in Fremont to give Byrne a rousing send-off. Space is limited for the event, which will cost $20 per person. Those attending can bid on items at a silent auction.

“It will be a night of fun for a good cause,” said Laura Stewart, a relative of the Byrne family.

Gangs were likely involved in the string of arson attacks, police said, and they come amid mounting concerns in Sweden about gang-related violence. More than 40 people were shot and killed in the Nordic country last year, and the prime minister said in January that he was not ruling out a military response to gang activity.

A rooftop camera recorded the silver Ford Fiesta driving past Parliament and suddenly veering sharply to the left, striking cyclists waiting at a set of lights, then crossing the road and crashing into a barrier outside Parliament. Armed police surrounded the car within seconds, pulling a man from the vehicle. Police said the driver was alone and no weapons were...